TidyMacQuit Slack, drag it from Applications to the Trash, then remove its data. The slack.com download keeps it in ~/Library/Application Support/Slack; the Mac App Store version keeps it in ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap. Also remove its caches, preferences and saved state. Your messages stay on Slack’s servers.
Uninstall Slack step by step
- Quit Slack (Slack › Quit Slack) so it doesn’t keep running in the menu bar.
- Drag Slack from Applications to the Trash.
- Move ~/Library/Application Support/Slack (slack.com version) or ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap (App Store version) to the Trash.
- Move ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap and com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.ShipIt to the Trash, if present.
- Move ~/Library/Preferences/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.plist and its Saved Application State to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
Where Slack leaves files
| Location | What it is | After uninstalling |
|---|---|---|
| ~/Library/Application Support/Slack | Workspaces, cached messages, images and files (slack.com version) | Safe |
| ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap | The same data for the Mac App Store version | Safe |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap | Cache | Safe |
| ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.ShipIt | Downloaded updates (slack.com version) | Safe |
| ~/Library/Preferences/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.plist | Preferences | Safe |
| ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.savedState | Window positions | Safe |
In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G) and paste a path to open it. Safe means nothing you made is inside; Check first means it may hold the only copy of something. To see how much space they use, run this read-only command in Terminal:
du -sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/Slack ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap ~/Library/Caches/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.ShipIt ~/Library/Preferences/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.plist ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap.savedState 2>/dev/nullWhich Slack do you have?
Both versions use the same bundle ID, but they keep their data in different places. The version from slack.com uses ~/Library/Application Support/Slack and updates itself (that’s the ShipIt cache). The Mac App Store version is sandboxed, so everything sits inside ~/Library/Containers/com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap. Check both; only one will usually exist.
Nothing in your workspaces is lost
Messages and files live on Slack’s servers. Removing the local folders only removes Slack’s offline copy. Files you saved from Slack are in your Downloads folder and are not touched.
Keeping Slack but want space?
Use Help › Troubleshooting › Clear Cache and Restart inside Slack. More about this folder
Uninstall Slack with TidyMac
TidyMac’s uninstaller lists every app with its size and last use, and finds the leftovers that belong to it by bundle ID. Remove Slack and its leftovers in one review: everything goes to the Trash first, you confirm twice, TidyMac checks the disk afterwards, and you can put anything back. Leftovers from apps you already deleted are found too, labelled Check first.
Uninstall apps and their leftovers in one step
See every part of your storage explained, and clean only what’s safe after you confirm twice. $9.99, one time.
Frequently asked questions
Does dragging Slack to the Trash uninstall it completely?
No. It removes the app, but Slack leaves 6 kinds of files behind in your Library and elsewhere: workspaces, cached messages, images and files (slack.com version); the same data for the mac app store version; cache. The steps above remove them.
What is Slack’s bundle ID on Mac?
com.tinyspeck.slackmacgap. Most of its leftover files and folders are named after it, which is how you (and TidyMac) can tell they belong to Slack.
Can I reinstall Slack later?
Yes. Download it again from Slack Technologies. Anything stored in your account online comes back when you sign in; local-only data you removed does not.